Talks over the next rights deal for the AFL, the top division of Aussie rules football in Australia, will commence before the 2015 season begins on April 2, according to the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.
The AFL Commission, the organisation responsible for negotiating the next cycle of domestic rights to the AFL, in December reportedly elected to postpone talks until this year due to uncertainty surrounding the future of commercial broadcaster Ten, a likely bidder in the process.
Ten confirmed in December that it had received non-binding, conditional investment proposals from a “number of parties.” However, there is yet to be any solid progress on the future of the broadcaster and the Herald said the AFL is now unwilling to stall negotiations over its next rights deal any further.
The AFL’s current deal with commercial broadcaster Seven, Fox Sports, pay-television operator Foxtel and telecommunications company Telstra is worth A$1.26bn (€860.8m/$978.8m) over five years, from 2012 to 2016. The league is said to be seeking A$1.75bn from its next five-year contract, with preliminary talks with broadcasters reportedly held late last year.
The incumbent rights-holders have said they want to retain their association with the AFL, while the Herald said Ten is preparing to participate in the process, adding that its bid could be hampered by its financial constraints.
Ten’s fellow commercial broadcaster Nine, which holds rights to rival code the National Rugby League, will reportedly not participate in the AFL auction.